Al Franco, the boxer’s father and trainer, said his son is speaking and could return home to California in the next month or two.

“Everything looks positive,” Al Franco said. “They removed the breathing tube so he’s now breathing on his own. They removed all the IVs but one. They had to put one in his carotid artery. He had so many of them – I think he had nine IVs – and he starting blowing veins, is how they described it. Things started popping because he had too many, so they went straight to the carotid. And it’s just more for painkillers.”

His speech is slightly slurred, but Al Franco said a speech therapist was surprised how well he’s doing.

He’s got some numbness on the left side of his face, but he has normal function on his right side. The medication is causing the numbness on his left side, but the fact that he has normal function on the left side is positive, Al Franco said.

“The side we need to be concerned with is normal: His right side, his right eye, they’re functioning,” Al Franco said. “Both hands, both feet, all his limbs, everything is normal.”

He said the doctors haven’t directly told him that his son would return to normal, but he’s optimistic that will be the case given the progress.

In three to six weeks, he may be ready to fly on a medical transport plane from Iowa to California. That will cost $18,000 at least.

“I’m still like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe the love we’ve gotten,’ ” he said. “It’s honoring, it’s humbling. Strangers are coming into my gym. Some of them bring money to help us and some of them can’t afford to make a donation and they came and pray. We’re so touched by the outpouring we’ve received.”